Overview & Reviews

Introduced in the mid 2000s just as gas prices were beginning to race skyward, the Honda Fit immediately became a hit with frugal car shoppers. A subcompact four-door hatchback, the Honda Fit has earned praise for its world-class engineering and design, and it has definitely found its niche with consumers, particularly with the second-generation model. With either generation, you'll find crisp handling, an adaptable interior, high-quality fit and finish and a relatively low price. An all-new third-generation Fit is also on its way. For small-car shoppers, the Honda Fit represents an almost ideal package.

Current Honda Fit
The Honda Fit is available in two main trim levels: base and Sport. Both come with a fuel-efficient 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 117 horsepower and 106 pound-feet of torque. A five-speed manual transmission is standard, with a five-speed automatic transmission being optional. Paddle shifters are included with the automatic for the Sport version. Fuel economy is respectably good with either transmission.

On the base Fit, air-conditioning, cruise control, keyless entry a tilt-and-telescoping steering column and a four-speaker audio system with a CD player, auxiliary audio jack and iPod/USB audio interface are standard. The Honda Fit Sport gains bigger wheels, sportier exterior trim details and a six-speaker audio system. Fit Sports can also be optioned with a touchscreen navigation system that includes Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity and voice controls.

The Fit is Honda's smallest automotive product, but it nearly matches the total passenger space of the larger Civic sedan. To help achieve this, Honda has installed a compact rear suspension design and placed the fuel tank underneath the passenger seat. Another key advantage for the Fit is its innovative, highly versatile rear seating arrangement. The "Magic Seat" has seatbacks that fold flat and seat cushions that can be flipped upward, creating a tall load area right behind the front seats -- sort of like a crew cab pickup's rear seats. Maximum cargo capacity is an impressive 57 cubic feet.

In reviews, we've found the Honda Fit to be a pleasure to drive for a frugal subcompact. The car has a solid feel to it, countering the perception of vehicles in this class as tinny econoboxes. Generally speaking, the Honda Fit continues the model's tradition of providing serious bang for the buck, and its combination of driving dynamics, polish and big-time practicality distinguish it from the competition.

Used Honda Fit Models
The current second-generation Honda Fit debuted for the 2009 model year. No notable changes occurred until 2012, when it received minor styling updates, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, added sound insulation and an upgraded Bluetooth system with streaming audio capabilities.

The first-generation Honda Fit was available for just two years: 2007 and 2008. It came in two trim levels with no factory options available. The base version adhered to a minimalist philosophy, though it still came standard with air-conditioning and a CD player. The uplevel Sport trim was snazzier and, predictably, we favored it. It featured larger, 15-inch alloy wheels, stickier tires, exterior styling pieces, keyless entry, cruise control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and a premium MP3-compatible audio system with an auxiliary audio jack.

The Fit stuck to the Honda playbook when it came to interior controls, which were intelligently designed and utilized high-quality materials. For a subcompact, the first-generation Honda Fit was surprisingly roomy and versatile. Chalk much of that up to the car's specialized second-row, 60/40-split seat design. The rear seats could be placed into four different configurations, depending on passenger or cargo needs. Folding the rear seat flat provided a surprising 41.9 cubic feet of cargo capacity.

Both trim levels were front-wheel drive and were equipped with a 1.5-liter, 109-hp four-cylinder engine. A five-speed manual transmission was standard, and a five-speed automatic was optional. Fit Sports with the automatic also had steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles.

We found the first-generation Honda Fit to possess an enviable driving-fun-to-thrift ratio. Cornering and acceleration were crisp. The subcompact could achieve 0-60-mph sprints in fewer than 10 seconds with either transmission. Fuel economy was commendable, and safety was good. The whole thing was almost perfect. Almost. The main downside was that although the car seemed less tinny than other cars in its class, at highway speeds the engine made its presence known. The lack of a telescoping steering wheel could also be an annoyance for taller drivers. But on balance the first-generation Honda Fit provided about as much fun, satisfaction and value as you could find in a small economy car.

User Reviews:

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  practical but funtional fit. - 2008 Honda Fit
  By marcusjd - October 11 - 1:58 pm

  The first tank of gas I got 33 mpg, wow! Better than my 07 Civic lx. The last tank I got 37 mpg. The car has 2500 miles on it. I just wish it had a 6th gear. Motor revs very high at highway speeds around 3500 @ 70 mph. Keep at 60-65 and you will see great mpg. The car is fun and nimble you can squeeze in and out of traffic with ease. Dont expect to outrun anyone the car is not that fast. With this car you must drive smart, keep the momentum or youll find yourself downshifting. Overall comfort and room is excellent stereo is good too. Too many good things to say about this car. Nothing really bad. I mean what do you expect from a $15,000 car. You get your moneys worth. No problems to date.

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  Its a Fit - 2008 Honda Fit
  By Nancy Sandoval - October 10 - 6:30 pm

  We traded in our Kia SUV Sorento for the Fit. We love it. It performs very well, is comfortable, cute and tons of room when the rear seats are down. We have gotten 40 mpg on the open road..up and down hills in Virginia. We have had the car for 7 months and would recommend it highly

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  The Fit fits. - 2008 Honda Fit
  By Kristin - October 9 - 5:03 pm

  I have had my Fit for 3 months now, its my first new car and I love it. It fits so easily into tight parking spots, can turn in incredibly small areas and has plenty of room on the inside! However, I am only getting about 20-22 mpg.. WAY less than was advertised and the front lower spoiler that comes standard on the sport is too low. It scrapes whenever I have to go in or out of a driveway unless I am creeping very slowly, which doesnt work if I am entering or crossing traffic. But all in all I love my Fit, it is much superior to my 98 Saturn that I was driving. I would suggest this car to anyone who enjoys driving and often find themselves with a car full of people

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  Love the CVT - 2016 Honda Fit
  By gloria thomas - October 1 - 12:36 pm

  This is the first time I have received wildly different price quotes on a small car like this. Shopping around really paid off. As for the car, I love it. This was my first automatic, and I was concerned that I would find it dull, but it is still fun to drive. I have read a few people complaining about the CVT making noise in the lower gears, but for someone who is used to manual transmissions, I like the fact that I can detect its downshifting. I have only driven the car 500 miles, but I am getting 40 MPG combined driving--better than with my old manual Fit.

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  Great commuter car - 2007 Honda Fit
  By BW - September 28 - 7:22 am

  I have been driving my car for almost two years now, putting 100 miles daily. I love it. Fit is efficient and reliable. I waited 5 months for this car, back then it was "a new thing on a market". I already know it from Europe - they also loved it there. I put a lot of highway miles daily but it is no so big expense anymore. I easily get 40 mpg. It is surprisingly spacious inside - I often have a full trunk and things fit easily. Everything works well. The only thing I had to replace was tires, after 36,000.There is one thing that I dont like - the noise of the engine inside the car.

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  Second review for my Labrador Retrievers car - 2013 Honda Fit
  By My Labrador Retrievers Car - September 24 - 10:11 pm

  I took a huge loss on this car in order to get rid of it because Honda currently has no means to fix it. Honda sent the recall letter in March stating the drivers air-bag inflator could fail and kill the driver. They refused timely rental for me at the dealer and at Honda Corp. because I transport dogs and the rental will get messy. By August, I had an unnamed Honda Corp case manager in the works but no real action taken. It was my choice, but enough is enough and I gave up waiting for Honda to act and disposed of the 2013 Honda Fit at about 6 month into this quandary. I was open and honest with both the local dealer and the Honda recall hotline. I let them know in mid-August that I was done waiting and a close call with a yellow Cadillac is why I am tired of the unsafe situation and lack of action to resolve my car issue. In general, it appears they are flooded with calls and lack manpower to deal with people with unique situations like me. To wrap things up, yes, it was a good affordable dog hauler but it is gone now because Honda failed to provide any sort of accommodation until it can be made safe to drive again. If Honda thought that I was going to park my only insured dog hauler vehicle for what has already been almost 6 months and just wait until some day when they might have a way to fix it and make it safe once again, they were mistaken. It is very wrong that Honda would send me a letter stating that the car is unsafe to drive, yet have no remedy for me after already almost 6 months. Ill never own another Honda.

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  Great Purchase - 2008 Honda Fit
  By Finnie - September 20 - 2:52 pm

  We bought the Fit due to the great gas mileage and the design of the folding back sit. It works great! It is a very versatile car. The back holds a lot more than it appears to be able to hold. The gas mileage is between 27 with mostly city driving to 41 with all highway driving. It has a good average of 30 to 32 MPG combo. The only thing I wish it would redesign is that the gas tank hold more than 10.8 gal. It seems to go through gas faster that way. A 12 to 13 would be great. I average about 280 to 400 miles per fill up. This car is a great buy. Plus another added feature is it shows percent of oil life so it takes the guess work out of when to change the oil. AC works great too.

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  Solid and fun - 2008 Honda Fit
  By dyussen - September 19 - 2:26 am

  I bought this car after tiring of reliability issues and gas cost with a Jetta 1.8T Wolfsburg; the flexibility in storage space came in handy my first week. I was sold on this car before I even drove it, but then was even more impressed with it. It is fun and peppy to drive despite not having a giant engine - cant beat the fuel economy short of spending double for a Prius, and it is solid design. Inside fuel cover area fills takes water during car wash, cheaped out on some little things (awful stock Dunlop tires), TPMS is a terrible requirement - makes winter wheels expensive!

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  dont hate if you dont know how to drive! - 2008 Honda Fit
  By i H8 dee-te-dees - September 16 - 5:00 pm

  I cant stand people who give truly bad reviews then end with but its a good little car! car handles great, gas mileage is better than sticker! trust me, my car only knows 2 speeds, park & 75. Honda really did a great job with this one, compared to all in its class and by far the fit was the best in its class hands down! better equipped than the yaris and more fun to drive than the versa!

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  A solid car - 2007 Honda Fit
  By Rick - September 15 - 1:26 am

  I have been looking forward to Honda bringing over this car since its arrival to the rest of the world since 2002. The Fit is Hondas number 1 selling car everywhere else. It is a solid machine that handles very well and has enough low end torque for a Honda to get up and go quickly. There is tons of room as well and an upscale interior. Gas mileage is decent.